Trust Veterinarian
Dr. Kara Escutia has spent most of her life in Illinois—growing up in the Chicago suburbs, then attending the University of Illinois for both her undergraduate degree and Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she worked in companion animal practice for ten years prior to joining the AVMA Insurance Services team in January 2021. As a Trust Veterinarian, Dr. Escutia plays a key role in the activities of AVMA Insurance Services, including providing guidance to the brokers and carriers on veterinary topics and protocols, reviewing professional liability claims, discussing claim situations with members, and developing and presenting educational programs to veterinary teams regarding liability and risk management. The Trust Veterinarians also keep an eye out for trending claim topics and develop newsletters, pamphlets, and other materials to educate our insured members to help prevent future claims.
Words Matter: Communication and Liability in Veterinary Practice
This 1-hour course will begin with an overview of common claim scenarios and the types of coverage available to help protect your professional license. Next will be a deeper dive into some common communication pitfalls that play a role in liability claims and discussion of some strategies to help you in these areas. We will also touch on strategies for delivering difficult news in the face of a medical error as well as reviewing some best practices for medical record keeping.